Let's Runaway
by TheChickenFangirl
Summary: After the events of Infinity War, Tony is frozen in a state of shock and grief, and finally, he can't take it anymore and decides to flee the compound with Pepper to start a new life. Or: My take on how Tony and Pepper ended up in the cabin upstate.


**_I own nothing._**

Let's Runaway

_I'm sorry_. Peter's last words. Peter, the closest thing Tony ever had to a son. No, Peter was his son, Peter was his kid. Now his kid was gone, gone with half the population because of one single snap. One single snap that changed Tony's world forever.

He sat on a luxurious couch at the Avengers Facility, his mind running miles of thoughts a second. Most of the grief and guilt. Peter had not been the only one lost. Tony stared out onto the too cheerful-looking grass holding a somber, stone wall holding the names of the fallen heroes. Thirteen in all, including Peter, the youngest Avenger, someone who wasn't supposed to be present in the battle on Titan. And as much as he hated to admit it, the kid was a brilliant asset to the team, and Tony felt much more relieved with Peter by his side, knowing he would try his damn hardest to protect his kid.

But he couldn't, he didn't. Peter had died, faded to dust right in front of him, as he held his small frame in his arms. Tony found his mind wandering back to his time on Titan.

_The two weirdos had disintegrated straight into sparkling dust. Then Quill, and the wizard telling him there was no other way. Tony looked around, he had a terrible feeling in his gut, they had lost, that has never happened before. For once, they had lost. There were only three of them now, himself, the blue chick, and―"_

"_Mister Stark?" He heard Peter's timid voice call out. "I don't feel so good."_

_Tony whipped around, fear prominent in his eyes, not Peter, for God's sake, not Peter. Peter stumbled closer, his eyes wide, scared, like a child. God, he was a child, he was only fifteen. _

"_I-I don't know what's happening," he fell into Tony's open arms, begging. "I don't want to go Mister Stark, I don't want to go, please."_

_Tony wanted to hold on forever, he'd never properly held Peter in his arms, never hug him, pulled him close. The only time they'd "hugged" was right after the fight against Captain America and his team of delinquents in Berlin, and even that was just Tony reaching for the door. _

_As much as he wanted to hold his kid, he wanted to see his face, show him that he cared, he placed him down on the rocky surface, maybe a little too aggressively, but he didn't care. He cradled his head in his bloodied hand, making sure he could see his face._

_Peter had calmed down as if he had accepted his fate; Tony hadn't yet. He looked solemnly up at his mentor, slightly nodding. "I'm sorry." He said it with so much heart, Tony's shook his head, tears in his eyes, watching as the dust claimed one of the rare breeds of human that could make its way to his stone heart._

_Damn it, Pete! He shouldn't be apologizing for anything. He was a fucking saint, a hero with a heart as huge as New York. It should be Tony, it should have been him! You couldn't put a number on all the things he'd done wrong, but Peter! Peter wasn't one of them. Him, Pepper, and Iron Man, the three things he didn't fuck up, the three things that were right about his life. Oh God, Pepper, Tony hoped and prayed she was alright, he needed her now more than ever._

_He brought his hands to his mouth, closing his eyes. He slowly rocked himself, he couldn't take it, as much as he hated to admit it, he was weak, a pathetic excuse of a hero._

Tony snapped, a faint crash could be heard of his mug hitting the floor. He didn't notice. The frozen fear never left his eyes as he rushed to his living quarters, his hands guiding his brain through the process of packing.

His mind finally caught up with his hands and he saw a giant black suitcase laying on the Stark's master bed, random items thrown carelessly in.

The door cracked open, soft footsteps approached his shaking figure. "Tony? What are you doing," asked Pepper Potts-Stark, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I-I have to get out of here Pep," Tony shook his head. "I can't take it, the constant reminder of all we lost, an-and I owe you a real, happy life Pepper. I owe that to you after all the shit I put you through."

Pepper sighed. "I don't care the shit you put me through," she paused, "though it is not preferred, I'd rather have you."A smile cracked at Tony's lips, the redhead continued. "And if anything it's my fault for all that shit as it is my idiotic heart that fell in love with you."

Tony brought his hands to his face, rubbing at his eyes. "God, I have no idea what I'd do without you." He stood up to face her, falling into her arms, and for once in his life, allowing himself to relax and melt into her embrace.

Pepper rested her chin in his messy hair breathing in the scent of his shampoo. Tony slowly withdrew from her arms looking up at the women like she was the only light in a room of black.

"I still think we should getaway, you know, maybe live a normal life. A life without fighting, without worrying, without the danger or the fear, just a fucking life without the Avengers. What do you say to that?" He pleaded his eyes filled with worry and hope.

"You know that's what I've always wished for. As proud as I was of your business as Iron Man, I never enjoyed the uneasiness and worry that came with the job." Her eyes wrinkled as her mouth formed a smile. "I would love to run away with you."

With a sense of determination, Tony pushed himself to his feet, looking Pepper dead in the eye. "We could go upstate, buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere, away from the public, away from the destruction. Away from everything."

Pepper stood face to face with him. "And you are sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yes," he responded looking his wife dead in the eye. "I can't stay here."

"Okay," she nodded, smiling. "Although I think your packing needs a little work."

Tony looked down at the mess on their bed and smiled for the first time in months.

**A/N**

**Hey, I know I've been REALLY inactive but here's another fanfic with a little Pepperoni and some Irondad and Spidyson. I'm still not over Endgame so I wrote this. :D Please excuse and grammar/spelling mistakes. I hope to be more active soon.**

**That's it for now.**

**\- A Lonely Chicken**


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